Moments later, Pita was dragging Elise back into the building and ordering a round of drinks for the four of them - insisting that they should celebrate their newfound friendship.
Astredian drank slowly, as he was now on his second tankand. He enjoyed ale, but had a tendency to become boastful when he had too much to drink, and always regretted his distasteful behaviour the next day. He also didn’t want to look like he was too interested in Elise, and only glanced at her occasionally as he listened to Pita and Moltar’s intense discussion about the best gems to bind to their next gear sets.
After draining her first tankard, Elise finally relaxed enough to look at Astredian without her heart jumping into her throat. She had been sitting at the far end of the bar, but came closer as she bec
